This invention relates to a device for speech recovery in aphasic patients.
Brain injured patients, most commonly those having suffered a stroke, may lose the ability to voluntarily or involuntarily speak or vocalize, even though their vocal cords may have physically recovered from any initial paralysis. Medically this condition may be part of a larger brain function impairment most commonly as part of conditions known as aphasia or apraxia, depending on the specific impairment or impairments. Once any physical paralysis has subsided, speech pathologists and therapists use a variety of techniques to induce a patient to speak again. One type of therapy involves physical stimulation, usually direct stimulation of the patient""s throat area with a mechanical vibrator or the therapist""s hand. Often these and other therapeutic approaches do not work.
For other types of speech impairments, other types of devices have been developed. There has been developed a tube type device to be applied to the lips of persons having speech impediments which cause an inability to sound out the xe2x80x9cSxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cZxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cTHxe2x80x9d sounds.
There is still a need for techniques and devices for assisting people with aphasia or apraxia in regaining speaking ability.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a method and device for assisting people with aphasia, apraxia or other conditions of similar effect to recover their speaking ability.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there has been invented an apparatus comprising: a hollow, rigid, thin-walled tube with semi-circular or semi-elliptical cut out shapes at each open end is positioned such that one end mates with the throat/voice box area of the neck of the assistor and the other end mates with the throat/voice box area of the assisted. The speaking person (assistor) makes sounds that produce standing wave vibrations in the vocal cords of the assisted person. Driving the assisted person""s vocal cords with the assisted person being able to hear the correct tone enables the assisted person to speak by simply amplifying the induced vibration of membranes in their throat.